Foam block mattress assembly

ABSTRACT

Mattress assemblies are provided that include a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks configured to attach to one or more adjacent visco-elastic foams blocks. Bed assemblies are also provided that include the mattress assemblies and further include a frame having rails with a height that, upon placement of a foundation and the mattress assembly in the frame, cover at least a portion of a side of each visco-elastic foam block to thereby secure the visco-elastic blocks in the frame in a predetermined configuration.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to mattress assemblies including a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks. In particular, the present invention relates to mattress assemblies that include a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks configured to attach to one another, such that the visco-elastic foam blocks can be individually transported and then assembled to form a mattress.

BACKGROUND

Visco-elastic foams are increasingly used in the manufacture of mattresses due to their ability to conform to the shape of a user and provide support to the entirety of a user's body. Despite these advantageous properties, however, visco-elastic foam mattresses are generally more dense than traditional spring-based mattresses, which results in the visco-elastic foam mattresses having weights that are significantly higher than a spring-based mattress of the same size. Indeed, king-size visco-elastic foam mattress may weigh as much as 150 to 200 pounds, making it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for a single user to carry such a mattress. Moreover, given the weight of such mattresses, shipping or transporting the mattress is often expensive and time consuming. Accordingly, a visco-elastic foam mattress assembly that is easier to transport, but does not sacrifice the comfort and support traditionally provided by those mattresses would be both highly desirable and beneficial.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to mattress assemblies including a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks. In particular, the present invention relates to mattress assemblies that include a plurality of viscoelastic foam blocks configured to attach to one another such that a user can easily select and transport individual visco-elastic foam blocks, and then assemble the visco-elastic foam blocks into a complete mattress at a desired location. Thus, the mattress assemblies of the present invention allow a user to obtain a complete visco-elastic foam mattress without having to transport an entire visco-elastic foam mattress at one time and without a loss of the comfort and support offered by traditional visco-elastic foam mattresses.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mattress assembly is provided that includes a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks configured to attach to one or more adjacent foam blocks. Each visco-elastic foam block generally includes a connector, such as hook and loop fasteners, that is mounted on one or more sides of each visco-elastic foam block to thereby attach each block to adjacent blocks included in the mattress assembly. Each visco-elastic foam block further includes an upper comfort layer and a lower support layer, such that each visco-elastic foam block provides a level of comfort to a user that is resting their body, or a portion thereof, on the visco-elastic foam blocks of the mattress assembly, but yet also provides a sufficient amount of support to the body of the user, or the portion thereof.

In the mattress assemblies of the present invention, each visco-elastic foam block typically has a weight of about thirty to about forty pounds and is generally arranged in one or more rows to form a complete mattress assembly. In some embodiments of the mattress assemblies, the visco-elastic foam blocks are arranged in a first row of visco-elastic foam blocks and a second row of visco-elastic foam blocks. For example, in some embodiments that make use of six visco-elastic foam blocks in a mattress assembly, three visco-elastic foam blocks can be arranged in a row adjacent to another row including three visco-elastic foam blocks so as to produce a mattress assembly having two rows of three visco-elastic foam blocks. In this regard, in some embodiments of the present invention, a mattress assembly can be provided that is comprised of visco-elastic foam blocks arranged in rows that are dimensionally-sized to support a user lying in a supine or prone position.

With further respect to the visco-elastic blocks of the present invention, in some embodiments, a mattress assembly can be provided where the visco-elastic blocks have different densities relative to one another such that different levels of firmness are provided in a single mattress assembly. For example, in some embodiments, a first row of visco-elastic foam blocks can be included in a mattress assembly that is less dense than a second row of visco-elastic blocks included in the mattress assembly, so as to provide a mattress assembly where one side of the mattress assembly is firmer than a second side of the mattress assembly. As another example, in some embodiments, visco-elastic blocks can be included in a head region of a mattress assembly that are less dense than the visco-elastic blocks included in other portions of the mattress assembly, so as to provide a mattress assembly having a softer, more comfortable portion for the head of a user and a firmer, more supportive portion for the torso or other portions of a user's body.

In yet further embodiments of the present invention, an exemplary mattress assembly can also be included as part of a bed assembly. In some embodiments of the present invention, a bed assembly is provided that comprises a mattress including a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks, where each visco-elastic foam block is configured to attach to one or more adjacent visco-elastic foam blocks. The bed assembly also includes a frame for securing the plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks in a predetermined configuration. In this regard, in some embodiments, each of the rails included in the frame has a height such that, upon placement of a foundation and a mattress assembly of the present invention within the frame, each rail covers at least a portion of a side of each visco-elastic foam block to thereby secure the visco-elastic blocks in the frame and provide a mattress assembly where the individual visco-elastic blocks are secured in place.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the description, figures, and non-limiting examples in this document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary bed assembly made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the mattress assembly of FIG. 1, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the exemplary bed assembly of FIG. 1, but with one visco-elastic foam block removed to show hook and loop fasteners secured to the visco-elastic foam blocks; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another exemplary bed assembly made in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to mattress assemblies that include a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks. In particular, the present invention relates to mattress assemblies that include a plurality of viscoelastic foam blocks configured to attach to one another such that a user can easily transport the visco-elastic foam blocks individually and then assemble the blocks at a desired location. Further, by making use of individual visco-elastic foam blocks, the mattress assemblies of the present invention allow a user to individualize their level of comfort and support by selecting visco-elastics blocks having variable levels of firmness. Thus, the mattress assemblies of the present invention allow a user to easily transport and carry a visco-elastic foam mattress having a customized firmness without having to transport an entire visco-elastic foam mattress at one time and without the loss of comfort that may otherwise occur if the weight and, consequently, the amount of material included in a traditional visco-elastic foam mattress was simply reduced to allow it to be more easily transported.

Referring first to FIG. 1, in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a bed assembly 10 is provided that comprises a mattress assembly 20 including a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c and a frame 30 for securing the visco-elastic foam blocks in a predetermined configuration. In the mattress assembly 20, the six visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c are arranged in a first row 22 and a second row 26, with three visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c included in the first row 22 and three visco-elastic foam blocks 26 a, 26 b, 26 c included in the second row 26, such that the rows 22, 26 are dimensionally-sized to support a person lying in a supine or prone position.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-3, each visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c included in the mattress assembly 20 of the present invention generally includes a connector for attaching each visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c to an adjacent visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c. In the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c shown in FIGS. 2-3, the connectors are in the form of strips of hook or loop fastener materials 25 a, 25 b (which are commonly referred to as VELCRO, a registered trademark of Velcro Industries, B.V. of Curacao, Netherlands) that can be mated to one another and are secured to each visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c to suitably attach the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c to one another. Of course, various arrangements and various other types of connectors, such as snaps, zippers, and the like could also be used to secure the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c to one another and to create a mattress assembly with interchangeable visco-elastic foam blocks without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. The foam blocks may also be connected to one another using zip fasteners. In such an embodiment, each of the foam blocks has a zipper that is sewed or stitched to one or more sides thereof. In one preferred embodiment, the zippers are located along each top edge of each block. As such, each block will have four zippers that are extended few centimeters to be able to connect to neighbor block. This allows each block to be completely interchanged with one another.

Furthermore, each visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c typically has a weight of about thirty to forty pounds so as to provide a visco-elastic foam block that can be easily transported. Moreover, each visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c typically also has a low resilience as well as a sufficient density and hardness, which allows pressure to be absorbed uniformly and distributed evenly across the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c of the mattress assembly 20. Generally, such visco-elastic foams have a hardness of at least about 10 N to no greater than about 80 N, as measured by exerting pressure from a plate against a sample of the material to a compression of at least 40% of an original thickness of the material at approximately room temperature (i.e., 21° C. to 23° C.), where the 40% compression is held for a set period of time as established by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 2439 hardness measuring standard. In some embodiments, the visco-elastic foam used to produce the visco-elastic foam blocks has a hardness of about 10 N, about 20 N, about 30 N, about 40 N, about 50 N, about 60 N, about 70 N, or about 80 N to provide a desired degree of comfort and body-conforming qualities.

The visco-elastic foam described herein for use in the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c of the mattress assembly 20 can also have a density that assists in providing a desired degree of comfort and body-conforming qualities, as well as an increased degree of material durability. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c has a density of no less than about 30 kg/m³ to no greater than about 150 kg/m³. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c is about 30 kg/m³, about 40 kg/m³, about 50 kg/m³, about 60 kg/m³, about 70 kg/m³, about 80 kg/m³, about 90 kg/m³, about 100 kg/m³, about 110 kg/m³, about 120 kg/m³, about 130 kg/m³, about 140 kg/m³, or about 150 kg/m³. Of course, the selection of a visco-elastic foam having a particular density will affect other characteristics of the foam, including its hardness, the manner in which the foam responds to pressure, and the overall feel of the foam, but it is appreciated that a visco-elastic foam having a desired density and hardness can readily be selected for a particular application or mattress assembly as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 2, each visco-elastic foam block 22 c, 26 c is generally comprised of visco-elastic foam that forms an upper comfort layer 23 c, 27 c positioned a top a bottom support layer 24 c, 28 c to provide a level of comfort to a body of a user, or a portion thereof, that is resting on the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 c, 26 c. The comfort layer 23 c, 27 c typically has a density, hardness, or both that is less than that of the bottom support layer 24 c, 28 c of the visco-elastic foam blocks 22 c, 26 c, such that the comfort layer 23 c, 27 c provides a softer surface on which to rest the body of a user or a portion thereof. For example, in certain embodiments, the visco-elastic foam block 22 c, 26 c can include a bottom support layer 24 c, 28 c that is comprised of visco-elastic foam with a density of about 80 kg/m³ and a hardness of about 13 N, while the comfort layer 23 c, 27 c is comprised of a visco-elastic foam with a density of about 35 kg/m³ and a hardness of about 10 N.

Regardless of the particular densities of the bottom support layers 24 c, 28 c and the upper comfort layer 23 c, 27 c, the support layers 24 c, 28 c and the comfort layers 23 c, 27 c are generally secured to one another to prevent the support layers 24 c, 28 c and the comfort layers 23 c, 27 c from moving relative to one another during use. Various means of securing one layer of material to another can be used in this regard, including tape, hook and loop fasteners, conventional fasteners, stitches, and the like. In one particular embodiment, the support layers 24 c, 28 c and the comfort layers 23 c, 27 c re bonded together by an adhesive or cohesive bonding material to create a substantially continuous assembly where the support layers 24 c, 28 c and the comfort layers 23 c, 27 c are fully adhered to one another. Such adhesive bonding materials include, for example, environmentally-friendly, water based adhesives, like SABA AQUABOND RSD, a two-component water-based adhesive product produced by SABA DINXPERLO BV, B-7090 AA, Dinxperlo, Belgium.

With further regard to the bottom support layers 24 c, 28 c shown in FIG. 2, the bottom support layers 24 c, 28 c generally have a composition different than that of the upper comfort layers 23 c, 27 c, as is described above, but it is additionally contemplated that an exemplary bottom supporting layer can be further comprised of one or more different or additional layers having various densities and hardnesses. For instance, it is contemplated that a layer of high-resilience polyurethane foam can be secured to the lower surface of a layer of low-resilience visco-elastic foam used in a bottom supporting layer. Such multi-layered bottom supporting layer are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,469,437; 7,507,468; 8,025,964; and 8,034,445, as well as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0252562, each of which is incorporated herein by this reference.

As a further refinement to the inclusion of visco-elastic foam blocks having different densities and hardnesses in a mattress assembly of the present invention, in some embodiments, mattress assemblies are provided where the visco-elastic foam blocks have different densities relative to one another, such that different levels of firmness are provided in a single mattress assembly and can be customized depending on the preference of a particular user. For example, and referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the first row 22 of visco-elastic blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c included in the mattress assembly 20 can have a density that is less than the second row 26 of visco-elastic blocks 26 a, 26 b, 26 c included in the mattress assembly 20, such that the first row 22 of the mattress assembly is customized for a user who prefers to sleep on softer surface, and the second row 26 of the mattress assembly 20 is customized for a user who prefers to sleep on a firmer surface. As another example, in other embodiments, and referring now to FIG. 4, a mattress assembly can be provided where visco elastic blocks 122 a, 126 a included in the head region of each row 122, 126 of the mattress assembly 120 are less dense than the visco-elastic blocks 122 b, 126 b included in the torso region of the mattress assembly 120, such that the mattress assembly 120 provides a softer region onto which a user can rest his or her head and a firmer region that provides support to the torso of the user. Similarly, and as yet another example, the visco-elastic block 126 c included in the foot region of the second row 126 can have a density that is less than the visco-elastic foam block 122 c included in the foot region of the first row 12, such that the mattress assembly 120 provides a softer visco-elastic foam block 126 c on which one user can rest his or her feet and a firmer visco-elastic foam block 122 c on which a second user can rest his or her feet as desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, as indicated above, each of the mattress assemblies 20, 120 of the present invention can be included as part of a bed assembly 10, 110 that is comprised of the mattress assemblies 20, 120 and a frame 30, 130 having rails 32, 132 for securing the visco elastic blocks 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c, 122 a, 122 b, 122 c, 126 a, 126 b, 126 c in a desired configuration (e.g., a first row 22, 122 and a second row 26, 126). In this regard, and as best shown in FIG. 3, the rails 32 of the bed assembly 10 typically have a height such that, upon placement of a suitable foundation 34 (e.g., a box springs or another suitable platform) within the frame 30, the rails 32 cover a portion of a side of each visco-elastic foam block 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c to secure the visco-elastic blocks in the frame and provide a mattress assembly 20 where the visco-elastic blocks are secured in place.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional embodiments or implementations are possible without departing from the teachings of the present invention or the scope of the claims which follow. This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiments and implementations disclosed herein, is given primarily for clarity of understanding, and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mattress assembly, comprising a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks, each visco-elastic foam block configured to attach to one or more adjacent visco-elastic foam blocks.
 2. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein each visco-elastic foam block includes a connector for attaching each visco-elastic foam block to an adjacent visco-elastic foam block.
 3. The mattress assembly of claim 2, wherein the connector comprises a strip of hook or loop fastener material.
 4. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks comprises at least 6 visco-elastic foam blocks.
 5. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks is arranged in a first row of visco-elastic foam blocks and a second row of visco-elastic foam blocks.
 6. The mattress assembly of claim 5, wherein the first row of visco-elastic foam blocks has a density different than that of the second row of visco-elastic foam blocks.
 7. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks comprises visco-elastic foam blocks having different densities.
 8. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein each visco-elastic foam block includes an upper comfort layer and a bottom support layer.
 9. The mattress assembly of claim 8, wherein the upper comfort layer has a density less than that of the bottom support layer.
 10. The mattress assembly of claim 1, wherein each visco-elastic foam block has a weight of about 30 to about 40 pounds.
 11. A mattress assembly, comprising a plurality of visco-elastic blocks arranged in at least a first row and a second row of visco-elastic foam blocks, each visco-elastic foam block configured to attach to one or more adjacent visco-elastic foam blocks.
 12. The mattress assembly of claim 11, wherein the first row and the second row are dimensionally-sized to support a user lying in a supine or prone position.
 13. The mattress assembly of claim 11, wherein the first row and the second row of visco-elastic foam blocks are each comprised of at least three visco-elastic foam blocks.
 14. The mattress assembly of claim 11, wherein the first row of visco-elastic foam blocks has a density different than that of the second row of visco-elastic foam blocks.
 15. A bed assembly, comprising: a mattress including a plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks, each visco-elastic foam block configured to attach to one or more adjacent visco-elastic foams blocks; and a frame for securing the plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks in a predetermined configuration.
 16. The bed assembly of claim 15, further comprising a foundation for supporting the mattress.
 17. The bed assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame includes rails having a height such that, upon placement of the foundation and the mattress in the frame, the rails cover at least a portion of a side of each visco-elastic foam block to secure the plurality of visco-elastic blocks in the frame in the predetermined configuration.
 18. The bed assembly of claim 15, wherein each visco-elastic foam block includes a connector for attaching each visco-elastic foam block to an adjacent visco-elastic foam block.
 19. The bed assembly of claim 15, wherein the connector comprises strips of hook or loop fastener material.
 20. The bed assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of visco-elastic foam blocks comprises at least 6 visco-elastic foam blocks. 